Ten questions on clothing as craft and industry, each with the practical change behind the style.
Clothing carries more history than it gets credit for, and most of the famous names attached to it are attached for a concrete reason. This quiz covers the designers who changed what was wearable, the natural fibres and their sources, and the cities that organised the trade. It also translates the French vocabulary the industry never bothered to replace. The explanations focus on what actually shifted, which was often a change in women\'s working lives rather than a change in taste.
Every question in this quiz is listed below with its correct answer and the reasoning behind it. Play first if you would rather not see the answers — or read through as a study sheet.
Play it insteadAnswer: B. Coco Chanel
Why: Chanel presented a simple black dress in 1926, at a time when black was largely reserved for mourning. Its appeal was that it was plain enough to be worn almost anywhere.
Answer: B. Levi Strauss
Why: Strauss and tailor Jacob Davis patented riveted work trousers in 1873. The rivets at stress points were the actual invention, not the fabric.
Answer: B. The silkworm
Why: Silk is unwound from cocoons spun by the larvae of the silk moth. China guarded the process as a state secret for centuries.
Answer: B. Sheep
Why: Most wool comes from sheep, though goats supply cashmere and mohair. Merino sheep are prized for particularly fine fibres.
Answer: B. Paris
Why: The term is legally protected in France and awarded by a governing body. Only a small number of houses meet the criteria in any given year.
Answer: C. The New Look
Why: It reintroduced full skirts and structured waists after wartime fabric rationing. Some criticised it for the sheer quantity of material it required.
Answer: C. Ready-to-wear
Why: It refers to standard-sized clothing produced in quantity, as opposed to garments fitted to one client. The shift to ready-to-wear made designer labels commercially viable at scale.
Answer: B. A plant
Why: Cotton fibres grow around the seeds of the cotton plant. It is the most widely used natural fibre in clothing.
Answer: B. Milan
Why: Milan hosts one of the four principal fashion weeks, alongside Paris, London and New York. Much of the Italian luxury industry is headquartered there.
Answer: D. The Costume Institute
Why: It funds the Costume Institute at New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art. The annual theme is set by the exhibition it opens.
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